


(Unedited Alpha/Omega fiction)

by victoriandancer



Category: No Fandom
Genre: F/M, Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-27
Updated: 2020-01-26
Packaged: 2021-02-27 13:26:55
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,831
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22427809
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/victoriandancer/pseuds/victoriandancer
Summary: Victoria has been passed up by alphas ever since she turned 18. They don't like her difficult, sarcastic, and intellectual nature. Just as well, since she ends up gagging on their scents right in their faces. As an omega wolf-shifter, she has no rights until an alpha has claimed her. Really, it's for her own protection, but she refuses to settle for sub-par males who want a trophy on their arm.Andy White is a military retiree working at Dynamic Security to keep things interesting. As an alpha, he has led a relatively stable life, but recently has been lonely. Hopefully without alerting his coworkers and friends, he's been searching the omega boarding houses for his perfect mate. When a welfare inquiry brings him to Victoria, he's awestruck and knows she's his mate.
Kudos: 3





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> THIS IS UNEDITED AND I HAVE NO IDEA WHERE IT'S GOING. Gentle constructive is welcome, but please recognize this is me getting ideas down onto paper. While I have drawn on the alpha/omega dynamic trope, these are all my own characters.

The tablet screen blacked out, causing Victoria to jump. She bared her teeth a bit, tapping the side of the tablet gently. “Where's the charger?” She reached a pale arm between the couch arm and the end table in search of the elusive cord. Her fingers reached the floor, but no cord. 

“No more tablet today, you have a visitor coming.” The smoke-roughened voice traveled through her open bedroom door before Mark’s form darkened the light from the hallway. He didn't have the senses of a shifter, so Victoria wasn't sure how he had heard her muttering. 

“I already told you, I'm done meeting alphas.” It was a long shot, but worth a try. 

“Nice try. Get dressed and brush your fur. It's sticking up around your ears.” Mark closed her door to give her some privacy. She used her hand to flatten the fur around her unshifted pointed ears, forcing it to blend with her grey hair.

Victoria was what Mark called a “long-term resident.” She had been placed with more alphas than any other omega on record and had yet to connect with any of them. For her efforts, she had been awarded with her own room. If she didn’t know better, she would say it was to isolate her and force her to crave affection and interaction. It wasn’t like Mark, a non-dynamic, could give her the affection she needed anyway. She could make do with other omegas, but they were few and far between. Mark usually only had to double up the omegas in rooms. He never even bothered cleaning or reassigning her room anymore when she was placed.

Omega wolf shifters almost never took more than a few months to place with an alpha once they turned 18. There were more wolf alphas than any other species. Victoria currently held Mark’s record at 3 years and still counting. She didn’t plan on giving up her solitary life today.

After a moment’s deliberation, she decided it wasn’t worth it to fight the meeting today. She would fairly judge the alpha that’s come to inquire and send him on his way. There hadn’t been a match for her since she turned 18, and it wasn’t likely to happen today. She rolled off the bed and switched her yoga pants out for a pair of dark wash jeans. She adjusted her tail so it poked through the hole and smoothed the fur so it didn’t look rumpled. She brushed her hair and let it hang nicely over her shoulders. A quick glance in the mirror confirmed she was plenty presentable for the visitor, not that looks mattered much. A quick sampling of his scent is all it would take for her to know if he was a suitable match. 

All those times Mark had sold her to an alpha? She had informed him _before_ any agreements had been drawn up that she didn’t approve of the match. Alpha scent absolutely repulsed her. Supposedly her one true match would draw her in with a scent that was heady and intoxicating. She was starting to think the whole “one true mate” thing was a myth to get her to accept an alpha. Mark had always encouraged her to “keep an open mind” and “give it time.” She was done being sold and returned only to take up residence in her room here at the boarding house. She would no longer be giving _anyone_ a chance unless his scent called to her the way she needed. 

She left her room and walked down the stairs to the landing. From here, she could turn right to the dining room and kitchen, left to the living room, or go straight out the front door. Making a u-turn around the stairs would take her to the common hang-out for the resident omegas too young to be matched or who haven’t found their match yet. Past that room was the door to the backyard, where there was a swingset and small jungle-gym set up for the younger ones and a pool for swimming.

She made a left for the living room where all meet-and-greets happened. The doorless entryway revealed Mark and the stranger standing next to the couch in light conversation, which immediately ended when she walked into the room.

“Vicky!” Mark smiled, genuinely happy that she seemed to be giving an effort. “Please, I’d like to introduce George Malk. He’d like to meet a few of you today and see what happens. George, this is Victoria.”

“Pleasure to meet you,” George gave a radiant, multi-thousand dollar smile as he offered his hand to her. “You have the most beautiful green eyes.” He had the typical build of an alpha: tall, broad shoulders, defined muscles, and a confident air. No ears or tail graced the perfect visage of any alpha, but they could never be mistaken for a beta or non-shifter. The size and confidence we're too apparent to ignore. Every trait was honed to attract a fertile omega. 

Victoria obliged and shook his hand, hiding the shudder that tried to run through her. His scent wanted to make her gag. “It’s nice to meet you, but I can tell this won’t work out. Should I call for Sherry? I believe I heard her voice in the common room.”

Mark grimaced at George’s shocked face. Omegas _never_ immediately rejected him, apparently. “Vicky, don’t you maybe want to sit and talk for a bit? See if you want to get to know him?”

“Please, Victoria,” George tightened his grip on her hand and bent to kiss it. “I’d love to have lunch with you. What do you say?”

This time the shudder wasn’t suppressed. Her shoulders tensed and she tried to pull her hand back. “Please let go of me!” Her ears flattened against her head and her tail tucked between her legs. She glanced to Mark as her heart rate increased and her vision narrowed. She had to leave _now._

_Let go! Let go! Let go!_

Mark tried to intervene, but George pulled her closer. “Don’t be difficult! There’s nothing wrong with wanting a conversation, right?” His eyes flashed yellow, showing how close his wolf was to the surface of his psyche. His lack of control frightened Victoria even more.

“Let go!” she yelled, and used his grip to yank his arm up by her face. Before Mark could warn the rude alpha, her teeth had already sunk into the muscle of his forearm and blood rushed into her mouth. Screams sounded around her and she let go, backing up once she realized he had let go of her hand. The taste of his blood made her gag lightly as she rushed out of the room and back up to her own room. 

“Bitch!” George’s furious cry followed her up the stairs. 

She slammed the door shut to block out the outraged comments George was spewing at Mark. She _knew_ she wasn’t supposed to bite. She _knew_ Mark’s reputation was on the line. She had spent enough years with him to know he was actually trying to do the right thing for her by letting her meet as many alphas as possible. If George wanted to, he could report Mark’s broker firm to the authorities and she would be given to broker in another state. 

It didn’t take long for Mark to knock. She mumbled her assent for him to enter from her position on the bed. She had her knees tucked up and her eyes buried so she only heard him approach and sit in her desk chair. 

“I’m sorry. I promise I vetted him.” Mark suddenly sounded older than his 50-plus years. “Usually the references tell me if something like that has happened before.”

Victoria glanced up, searching his face. As usual, he was sincere. As much as she hated the world she was born into, she understood she was extremely lucky to have found a broker like Mark. “I’m sorry, too,” she said quietly. “I didn’t mean to… He frightened me.”

“I know,” Mark reached over and patted the fur/hair combination between her ears. “I’ll be more careful, and maybe next time you can look to me for help instead of biting our guests?”  
Victoria nodded, but they both knew it was a long shot. Omegas only looked to themselves for protection until they had bonded an alpha. It was the only way to survive in a world where you were traded as a commodity.

With a nod, Mark braced his hands on his knees and stood up. “Dinner is in an hour. I pulled pizza dough out of the freezer. Think the younger kids would like to make personal pizzas?”

Victoria gave a small smile. “Yeah, they’d like that.” It wasn’t a secret it was her favorite meal.

Mark made his way downstairs, leaving Victoria to mull in her emotions. The stink of fear and uncertainty had already settled in her bed sheets. She would have to change them before tonight. 

What a day.


	2. Chapter 2

Andy White jogged through the crosswalk towards the skyscraper on 24th. He juggled his coffee and messenger bag to make sure nothing spilled as he weaved between people to reach the front entrance. A beta bumped into him, and when an apology wasn’t forthcoming, Andy let out a low growl that had the crowd cowering away from him.

“Sorry, man,” the beta mumbled before disappearing among the masses. This definitely wasn’t the way Andy wanted to start his morning.

It was never good when a text came in first thing in the morning reading, _Get in, now!_ Since he wasn’t actively on a case, his shift at Dynamic Security didn’t actually start until 9 am, but here he was at 7:30. Not sure what to expect, he shoulders his way into the office he shares with his partner, Greg.

“Hey, man,” Greg said with his signature shit-eating grin. “Ready for your adventure?” The fox-shifter was never straight-forward.

“I’m barely awake, let alone know what you’re talking about,” Andy dead-panned, setting his things down on his desk. Quick reflexes prevent his coffee cup from tipping over the edge of the desk. “Any idea why I need to be here so early?”

Greg shrugged. “Something about a welfare check at a broker. The guy in Shane’s office is off his rocker. Said an omega bit him.”

Andy booted up his computer while standing, planning on going to rescue Shane before he took care of emails. “From what I’ve read, omegas don’t react violently unless they’re under stress or in immediate danger.”

He got no response from Greg, so he took another sip of coffee before heading down the hall to Shane’s office. Shane O'Brien was the CEO of Dynamic security, a personal protection and private investigation office. Andy had worked here since retiring from the army. It gave him a reason to keep up his fitness and feel like he’s doing some good in the world. Every once in a while, they received some high-profile contracts such as escorting foreign ambassadors and the occasional royalty. 

The shouting became more distinct as Andy approached the office, so he didn’t bother knocking. He swung the door open to reveal a light-haired alpha responsible for the shouting with a bandage on his arm. It was bleeding through in 2 crescent shapes. Apparently Greg had heard correctly.

“Andy! Thanks for coming in early,” Shane cut off the stranger with no remorse. “We have a new client that’s concerned about a broker in the suburbs with an omega who allegedly can’t be placed. This is George Malk.”

Andy ran a hand through his dark hair. His wolf immediately took a disliking to the strange alpha in the office, but he had to play nice for now. “What made you suspicious something is wrong?” he asked the stranger. Alphas could be unpredictable and intense, but this was a bit much over an omega who obviously didn’t like him.

“Omegas aren’t violent! She bit me with no provocation!” George seethed so hard, Andy was waiting for steam to escape from his ears.

Shane quickly made eye contact with Andy, and that was all he needed to take the conversation in his own direction. “Well, Mr. Malk,” he said, “we’ll certainly look into it. We’ll draw up a contract with our PI firm. In full disclosure, I’m usually part of the personal protection division, but I’m the most experienced where omegas are concerned. I’ve done countless assignments where we were hired to protect omegas. I’ll be able to tell what, if anything is going on there.”

“Yes, yes, that’s fine! Make sure you dig up the background of Mark Gardner before you go. I’m sure there’s something shady in his record if he’s housing a 21 year-old omega!” George finally sat in the guest chair next to Shane’s desk to start filling out the paperwork to open a private investigation.

_Mark Gardner_. Andy typed the name into phone in a new note. “Got an address for me?”

George relayed enough information for him to get started. “I’ll get this started. Expect to hear from us in the next couple of days. I’ll pay a visit out there soon.” Once the irate alpha had filled out the paperwork and left, Andy was left chuckling with Shane. “Is he really investing thousands of dollars to investigate an omega who just didn’t like him?”

Shane shook his head. “I have no idea, but I’m willing to take an easy contract and easy money. What was that line about ‘being the most experienced with omegas’?”

Andy shrugged. “He needed to hear something he liked in order to sign the contract. To be fair, I’m the only one here who has ever taken a protection contract for omegas, so it’s technically true.”

“It was one contract for a car transport! You didn’t even speak to the omegas since they slept in the car!”

Andy couldn’t stop the laughter from escaping. “It’s more than the rest of you!”

Shane shook his head. “Go find this Mark Gardner and his feisty omega. A drive out into the suburbs may do you some good.”

Andy’s laughter subsided as he left the office to grab his coffee and coat. Sometimes Shane was too perceptive. He had been visiting a few brokers recently in his personal time, but had the stress of loneliness really been that obvious? He hadn’t wanted to make his friends and coworkers worry, so he hadn’t mentioned anything about it. 

“So where are we going?” Greg now had his feet propped on his desk, so Andy shook his head. 

“Sorry, this one’s for me only. I’m going to look up a broker’s background and pay him a visit as a customer, see if there really is something fishy going on or if the client just has some hurt feelings.”

“Damn. Well, good luck.”

Andy wasn’t sure what Greg was giving him luck for. Did _everyone_ know he’s been on the search for his mate?

**********************************************

In the middle of the day, traffic isn’t bad, so it only took Andy 30 minutes to reach _Gardner Broker and Omega Boarding_. The 2 story house was not new, but showed obvious signs of regular maintenance. The outside was clean and the lawn maintained. The garden was very obviously planted by children, which gave Andy hope that this was a decent boarding house. 

He rang the doorbell and waited on the front porch for someone to open the door. He could hear kids having fun in the backyard, but it didn’t seem like there were too many. Avoiding overcrowding was another check in Mark Gardner’s favor.

The door opened to a middle-aged man with salt and pepper hair and a sweater covering a softer body. “Hello! You must be Andy.”

“Yes, it’s nice to meet you. Thank you for making an appointment on such short notice.” Andy shook his hand and stepped into the house when Mark stepped aside. The inside was cleaned, but lived in. A few children’s toys were pushed to the sides of the foyer but they weren’t dusty, giving evidence that the children regularly played with them. A scent carried in the air that perked his wolf up. It had mossy, clean earth tones that had him on alert. Was it someone who had passed through recently? Or a resident? _Please, let it be a resident!_

Andy shook his head to dislodge the comment. No! He was here for his job, and nothing more.

“Go ahead and hang your coat in the closet, or small hands may root through the pockets looking for sweets. One alpha came prepared with peppermints years ago, and it basically became a legend. We had to install a closet to give visitors a place to hide their belongings.” Mark chuckled as he helped Andy hang the coat and showed him into the living room. “Can I get a general sense of what you’re looking for? That way I can let the girls know someone is here and see who might be interested in meeting you.”

Andy shrugged as he sat on the comfortable couch. “I’m kind of going on instinct here. I’m 30 already, so the older, the better. I’m looking to settle, and not much of a partier. I work a job with some odd and unpredictable hours, and I know that can be hard to handle for some people.”

Mark nodded. “Understandable. What field are you in? Military?”

“Retired, actually. I work at a personal protection firm now. It keeps the excitement up.”

“Oh, I bet,” Mark said, getting up slowly. “If you can give me a moment, let me see who is interested in meeting you. A few of the young women here are fairly independent, and may be able to handle your lifestyle.”

Andy cringed as Mark left. He hated speaking about these women as if they were puppies to be adopted from a shelter. He could tell Mark was doing his best, but sometimes the language associated with omega placement cannot be helped. 

A few moments passed, and a young woman stepped into the living room. She was not the owner of the mossy earth scent. She looked to be barely 18 years old with soft blonde hair and small lion ears sticking out from her head. His wolf promptly turned his back on her, but he had to make some sort of effort here. 

“This is Shelly. Shelly, this is Andy White,” Mark made the introductions, letting Shelly shake hands with him. 

“It’s nice to meet you, Shelly,” Andy said, but her eyes were shifting. She wasn’t comfortable. He immediately, though without seeming hurried, withdrew his hand from her space. She was clean, well-fed, and well-groomed. So far, he had no complaints about Mark’s set up at all.

“What do you think, Shelly? Would you like to eat lunch here?” Mark asked, though his shoulders were relaxed and unassuming. Andy silently applauded Mark’s ability to inquire the girls’ opinions without seeming pushy.

“Not today, thank you,” she said, but finally met Andy’s eyes. “But I think Victoria might want to meet you.”

Mark stiffened, but quickly recovered. “Good idea, will you please go ask her?”

Shelly face transformed with the grin that spread across her lips. “What? Is she not your biggest fan right now?” 

Andy had to put his entire being into not laughing. Shelly may not like him, but she was comfortable enough here to sass at Mark. There would be no reports today landing at the Omega Welfare Office for Mark’s establishment.

Mark rolled his eyes. “Please? I accidentally woke her up this morning when I tried to fix Jeanette’s bookshelf.”

Shelly shrugged and nearly _danced_ out of the room. “You owe me ice cream!”

Andy lost the battle and his chuckle got Mark’s attention. “Victoria can be moody, but she’s loyal to her friends and she’s been here the longest. Please don’t let any prickliness deter you. All I ask is that you give her a chance.”

Andy’s eyes narrowed but he nodded. Victoria must have been the one to bite George Malk. If he kept his extremities out of the way, maybe he won’t come to the same fate. 

His wolf perked up at the sound of light steps coming down the stairs. So she hadn’t been with the rest of the omegas in the backyard. Choice? Or were they isolating her potential mood swings from the younger omegas? A young woman stepped into the room, and he couldn’t help but stare. Silvery-grey hair fell around her soft, pointed ears. A fluffy wolf’s tail peeked out from her jeans behind soft hips and slender legs. She wasn’t overly thin, but she seemed fit. She could easily keep up with him on a romp through the woods. His gaze traveled up gentle curves to her heart-shaped face and beautiful forest green eyes. Those eyes were inspecting him just as intensely as he was inspecting her.

And then her scent hit him. It was that moss-covered earth in full force. It filled his lungs and his head and clung to him. His wolf howled in his head, screaming, _Mine!_

He could see her taking even, measured breaths, but her pupils were dilated. He wasn’t the only one affected here, and it made his heart soar thinking she might be the one.

Mark’s eyes lit up at the wordless encounter. “I’ll go check on lunch, if that’s ok with you, Vicky.” He eyed her with hope, but there was an undercurrent of caution too. He held it in his shoulders and hands.

Victoria nodded, snapped out of wherever her head had gone. “I’ll be ok,” she said, and Andy nearly melted. He could listen to her voice all day and never grow bored. Three words out of her mouth, and he was hooked.

Finally coming to his senses, he stood, a hopeful smile on his face. “I’m Andy. It’s nice to meet you.” He didn’t offer his hand, and the flare of approval in her eyes rewarded his decision.

“I’m Victoria, but I prefer Vicky.” She stepped further into the room, but didn’t enter his personal space. She sat in the recliner chair closest to the exit. Smart. If she didn’t like how the conversation went, she could escape without being within his reach. And the note about her nickname didn’t escape his notice. Mark introduced her as Victoria, but called her Vicky. That privilege was only for her chosen family. And himself, apparently.

She didn’t settle completely into the chair, but she didn’t sit on the edge, either. She seemed willing to give him a chance, so he sat on the couch as well, as far away from the exit as possible. “I heard from Shelly there was an incident this morning involving a bookshelf?”

Her eyes sparked at him, but her shoulders shook in silent laughter. “Mark hammered his thumb and I could hear his screaming from my room. I only let him know I didn’t appreciate the wake-up call.”

“The wake-up call was at 9! It was well past time for you to be up anyway,” Mark’s voice carried through the entrance just before he entered carrying a tray of sandwiches and lemonade. “A little compassion would have been appreciated, especially since my thumb is _still_ sore!”

“Jeanette got ice for you! It’s not my fault you have bad aim,” Victoria reached for a lemonade and took a sip. Andy waited a moment before reaching for his own.

“You must have impressed Shelly. She doesn’t make lemonade for visitors,” Mark commented, then shifted his focus to Victoria. He seemed surprised by her behavior. “Do you want me to stay?”

Victoria shook her head, her eyes not leaving Andy’s. “No, I’m good.” With a nod, Mark made his way across the hall to the dining room. Andy lost sight of him around a corner, presumably on his way to the kitchen to get lunch for the rest of the kids.

He turned his attention back to the she-wolf in front of him. Her eyes were unashamedly still roaming his figure. “Do you live in the city?” she asked.

Andy nodded. “Yes, but I have a cabin out in the country for when I need to shift. It’s hard to get a good run and romp going in the city. Non-shifters tend to get scared.”

A small smile appeared at the corner of her lips, but just as quickly vanished. “What’s it like in the city? I’ve never been.”

Even Andy knew not to inquire about her family. It was understandably a touchy subject to discuss how your family sold you to a boarding home. “It’s loud. Sometimes the smells get to me, but my job keeps me active and it helps.”

“What do you do?”

“I’m a bodyguard. I work for Dynamic Security.”

“It’d be cool to have a job one day. Even if I could do it from home.”

“What would you want to do?”

“I don’t know.” Her eyes finally lowered, and Andy backpedaled to try and keep her interest.

“There’s a huge push right now to work or study from home. Have you ever thought about enrolling and getting a degree?” Her eyes came back and his wolf nodded in agreement. Good choice!

“I guess that would be a good place to start. I’m surprised they even let omegas enroll.” Oh, there was the edge. Her eyes took on a hard light as her focused drilled into him. 

This was a test. “Why wouldn’t they? It’s an obvious market to target an entire group of people who tend to stay at home rather than work. They’ve put a lot of advertising into attracting omegas who want to learn new things.”

The intensity remained in her shoulders, but she didn’t seem angry. “And how do _you_ feel about it?” Well, she wasn’t one to beat around the bush.

“If it’s affordable, I can’t see any reason not to study. Education moves us forward. It’s one of the reasons I went into the military. They paid for a degree while I was enlisted so I could specialize, or I could just be set for when I retired.”

“And which did you choose?” The hard edge was gone from her eyes, but Andy knew it wasn’t very far down. He could tell she had been disappointed before, and could only hope he wasn’t another on her list of failures.

“I chose for the future. I was an infantryman in the army, but studied business and martial arts. I knew once I was out of the military I wouldn’t want to give up the excitement, just maybe dial it back a bit. Personal protection is a good mix of the intensity and consistency I need.”

The sandwiches and lemonade were gone and all they had done was talk about him. He wanted to know more about her, but didn’t want to pry. Maybe this would be a good stopping point. Keep her curious and on good terms. “May I come see you again? I’d love to keep talking, but have a meeting at work I can’t miss.”

Vicky seemed to snap out of her focus and glanced to the clock. “Um, sure. I’d be ok with that.”

A gasp was heard from the hall and an intense blush flooded Vicky’s neck and cheeks. Having an unintended audience would do that to you. “Your friends?” he asked with a smile.

Vicky nodded and stood up. “I’ll clear the way,” and then she was gone. Andy could hear the snickering and questions fading towards the back of the house. It didn’t take long for Mark to come back in.

“I heard the end-”

“I think everyone heard the end of our conversation,” Andy finished for him.

“Yes, sorry about that. It’s rare for Vicky to take an interest in someone. They’re excited for her.”

“I’m glad to hear it. Can I come by on Wednesday? I’d love to keep talking, but have a meeting.”

“Yes, yes! Come by anytime. There’s a lovely pool out back with benches, and the field behind the yard is our property as well. You guys might get some more privacy that way.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” Andy grabbed his coat and caught a flash of silver out of the corner of his eye. Vicky was standing by the stairs watching him. “See you on Wednesday?” he asked her, noting the surprise in her face at the question.

“Yeah. Wednesday. I’ll keep my schedule open,” she snarked, turning on a heel and walking back towards the common room.

“Too much?” Andy winced, but Mark was laughing.

“No, definitely not. If she didn’t like you, she wouldn’t have come back. She wouldn’t have stayed and talked so long.”

Andy nodded and patted his pockets. Keys confirmed, so he walked out and drove back to the city. His mind was swirling with green eyes and that mossy-earth scent.


End file.
